Learning about the U.S. Constitution when you are an undergrad can be interesting, but learning about our nation’s founding document from law school professors and getting to be part of a mock trial is truly inspiring. Or at least that’s how students from the University of South Florida described their experience during a visit to WMU-Cooley Law School’s Tampa Bay campus in Riverview, Florida. USF Professor Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan organized, for the third time this year, a day-long visit to the law school for her Constitution Law I students so they can learn firsthand from the law professors and Constitution Law experts.

Scourfield McLauchlan gives the law school and their professors high marks, and so do the students. The USF professor said she feels that this kind of learning is critical to not only understanding the importance of our nation’s founding document, but the history behind the Constitution of the United States why we need it.

“We enjoyed hearing from Dean (Jeffrey) Martlew — and the warm welcome we received,” said Professor Scourfield McLauchlan. “We were very grateful for the opportunity to use the appellate courtroom at WMU-Cooley for our mock U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument simulation. Such a wonderful facility. And I find it inspires my students to rise to the occasion.”

WMU-Cooley Professor Paul Carrier speaks to University of South Florida students about Constitutional Law and the courts.

The students spent part of the day with WMU-Cooley Professor Paul Carrier who had the opportunity to discuss with them the Constitution and its meaning. He also engaged the students in a roundtable conversation, asking questions and debating issues surrounding issues of today and from the past.

“Having the opportunity to address these issues around law professors in a mock courtroom really seemed to intensify the experience for the students and to make more real the possibility of practicing Constitutional Law, “explained Professor Carrier. “We even had the chance to discuss one of my pet projects that I am supervising and advising — a moot court competition that focuses on public international law issues.”

Carrier explained to the students how there are myriad practice areas and employment opportunities inside the field of law. “Law school is almost a misnomer,” Carrier explained. “A university is comprised of a collection of different colleges, whereas a law school is actually its own collection of different areas of law and opportunity with similar breadth. Students get a chance to see that when they visit.”